Setsu Clan
is an isolated family of samurai, hailing from the Land of Iron. Their settlement is nestled at the foot of a large mountain. There, they have easy access to many ore and mineral veins. Partly as a result of this, nearly all members of the clan are taught smithing at a young age. The weapons that their blacksmiths produce rarely leave their compound, however they are highly valued and are often sold for a high price. These weapons will not be of the highest quality, which will be reserved for clan members. The tools and weapons they use are fashioned from a high quality alloy which conduct chakra very readily, but have high melting points as well as incredible durability. They are also renowned for their kekkei genkai, Steel Release, which has manifested itself in this clan as a variation known as Tōeiken, which allows them to create and manipulate blades from anywhere on their body. The user is able to use this ability in a variety of different ways, for offensive, defensive, or supplementary purposes. Due to their kekkai genkai as well as their smithing techniques, many a ninja has attempted to gain access to their settlement. However there are only a few people even aware of their location and practically no-one outside the clan has ever set foot inside the settlement. This is mostly due to the hostile and wary nature of members of this clan towards outside interference. It is unusual, though not unheard of for a small group of Setsu Clan members to leave the settlement and make for a ninja village to seek their fortune. Beliefs The Setsu deny the existence of any supernatural deity, such as a god. However, they do have a belief that if the Seven Swords of the Mist can be found and amalgamated with each other, they resulting alloy would be powerful enough to create a blade that would be unstoppable. They hold the belief that each blade represents an element or chakra. Himakarei': Time/Space/Balance/Gravity/Cosmic/Universal/All-Elemental' : Nether/Darkness/Shadow/Death/Poison/Black Magic Kiba: Aether/Light/Life/Lightning/Electricity/Energy/Magnetism Nuibari: Air/Wind/Magic/Sound/Music Shibuki: Fire/Heat/Flame Samehada: Water/Ice/Snow/Steam/Fog/Mist Kabutowari: Earth/Rock/Nature/Soil/Metal/Wood Background Skills Bukijutsu Everyone in the Setsu Clan is trained in the art of a weapon. It is compulsory and allows every person in the clan to immediately spring to the defense of the clan, should such an act be required. Kenjutsu is commonly taught, but a whole array of weapons are available and ready to be mastered by anyone who wishes it. The bukijutu is taught individually and begins at the age of 6 and accumulates and the end of a 4 year period, after which the trainee is made to fight the other trainees in a contest. The weapons are made non-lethal, but even so, severe injuries are not uncommon. Smithing Skills Most members of the clan are taught smithing from a very young age. Although most of the knowledge they pick up will only ever be used in non-combat situations, they are also taught to be able to pick up the slightest stress strain or weak point in a material-knowledge which some use to shatter objects into pieces. The students are taught that however skilled the smith, a slight flaw shall still remain in the finished product. As a result, with the correct application of force, some Setsu clan members have broken objects that have been labelled "unbreakable" or "indestructible" by some who are foolish enough to believe that such an object exists. Keen Natural Eyesight The Setsu Clan are rumored to have "eyesight as keen as their steel", which is very keen indeed. The degree to which each Setsu has this trait varies, but they all have at least 20/18 vision-an object 20 feet away shall appear as if it is 18 feet away. The greatest eyesight displayed thus far has been 20/4 vision-an object that is in fact 20 feet away will be seen as if it were 4 feet away. It is possible that this is a very dilute form of dōjutsu, however, aside from enhanced sight, no additional abilities seem to be bestowed upon the Setsu clan. They commonly use this ability to see the weak points in materials and influence them. Kekkai Genkai The Tōeiken is the kekkai genkai variation of the Setsu clan. It is considerably rare in the clan, manifesting in only 1/3 of their people. The knowledge that the child of a couple will possess this kekkai genkai is both a blessing and a curse; it is possible that the stress put on the baby during childbirth makes it feel threatened, to which its body responds by having blades erupt defensively from the body. These blades pierce the mother and it is not uncommon for the baby to die as well. However, should the baby be born successfully, they will usually be treated with a grudging admiration and respect, though some may be jealous of the power that the child possesses, and should the child be "unworthy" by performing badly during the sparring contest, then they will often be treated badly by other members of the clan. However overall the wielder of Tōeiken is treated well. Large Natural Chakra Reserves The members of the Setsu clan possess naturally above-average chakra reserves, though it was not until recently that the reason for this was discovered. Among the minerals that lie under the mountain that the Setsu call home, there is a large vein of Gelel. This grants, among other things, the large chakra reserves that each Setsu possess. Accelerated Healing and Life Force As well as large amounts of chakra, the background Gelel energy also gives the Setsu an enhanced healing factor. They won't go around regenerating limbs, but they are able to heal noticeably quicker than normal humans. The Setsu also age less rapidly and rival the Uzumaki in terms of life span and life force. The oldest Setsu clan member known to date is the Setsu clan Elder, who is over 110 years old, and is still able to walk around without assistance.